Nkechi Agwu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nkechi Agwu
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Born | October 8, 1962 Enugu, Nigeria
|
| Nationality | Nigerian-American |
| Alma mater |
|
| Known for | Mathematics |
| Awards | American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges Award |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions |
|
| Thesis | Using a computer laboratory setting (CLS) to teach college calculus (1995) |
| Doctoral advisor | Howard C. Johnson |
Nkechi Madonna Adeleine Agwu (born October 8, 1962) is a talented mathematics teacher. She is a citizen of both Nigeria and America. She works as a professor at the Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York City. She also used to lead the college's Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship.
Contents
Early Life and Challenges
Nkechi Agwu was born in Enugu, Nigeria. Her parents were both teachers. Her father, Jacob Ukeje Agwu, was from Nigeria. Her mother, Europa Lauretta Durosimi Wilson, was from Sierra Leone.
During the Nigerian Civil War, her family supported the Biafran side. Their home in Umuahia was damaged by bombs. In 1968, Nkechi, her mother, and her siblings left Nigeria. They went to a refugee camp in Equatorial Guinea. From there, they moved to camps in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
They later went to her grandmother's house in Sierra Leone. Sadly, it had burned down, leaving them without a home. Most of her family returned to Nigeria after the war ended in 1970. Her father had become a farmer. Nkechi stayed in Freetown, Sierra Leone. She studied at the Fourah Bay College Primary School and then at the Annie Walsh Memorial School.
Education and Academic Journey
In 1980, Nkechi Agwu returned to Nigeria. She studied mathematics at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She earned her bachelor's degree with honors in 1984.
Two of her university teachers, James O. C. Ezeilo and Isabelle Adjaero, suggested she continue her studies. They recommended the University of Connecticut, where Adjaero had earned her PhD. Nkechi started her studies there in 1987. Before this, she worked as a government statistician and a lecturer at Kaduna Polytechnic.
She completed her master's degree in mathematics at the University of Connecticut in 1989. After that, she moved to Syracuse University. There, she earned her Ph.D. in mathematics education in 1995. Her main project was about using computers to teach college calculus. Her advisor was Howard Cornelius Johnson. At Syracuse, she also studied gender studies and multicultural education. She was president of the African Students Union and the Association of International Students.
Career and Contributions to Mathematics
Nkechi Agwu became the Coordinator of the Teaching and Learning Center at the Borough of Manhattan Community College.
In 2009, she led the New York City branch of the American Association of University Women. Her goal was to encourage girls and women to study STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). She also worked to improve health in minority communities. In 2014, she visited Nigeria with a special fellowship.
Agwu became very interested in ethnomathematics. This field looks at how different cultures use and understand mathematics. She developed a course that used storytelling to help students connect with math. She also studied the math patterns in Ndebele dolls, African textiles, and the game of Mancala.
Giving Back to the Community
Nkechi Agwu is one of the people who started a non-profit group called Chi Stem Toys Inc. This group helps young people, women, and people with disabilities. It teaches them business and STEM skills. They learn to create dolls inspired by their cultural heritage using recycled materials. This idea came from her research in Ethnomathematics.
Recognition
Nkechi Agwu is featured in a special deck of playing cards. These cards highlight important women mathematicians. This recognition comes from the Association of Women in Mathematics.
